Brake disc and balancing weight

ABSTRACT

A U-shaped spring-like balancing weight clipped on a web of a vaned-type ventilated brake disc and tack welded to the web to permanently hold the weight in position on the disc.

[ Aug. 29, 1972 United States Patent Hillegass et al.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [54] BRAKE DISC ANDBALANCING WEIGHT [72] Inventors: Kenneth P. Hillegass, Akron, OhioExaminer-George E. A. Halvosa Primary Attorney-F. W. Brunner and Paul E.Milliken [73] Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akren, Ohio7] ABSTRACT U-shaped spring-like balancing weight clipped on a [22]Filed: Sept. 4, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 69,637

web of a vaned-type ventilated brake disc and tack welded to the web topermanently hold the weight in 4Drawing Figures .m M d C m 2 n O n 0 nms O p Vu R 0 3 0 /6 1 2 M9% tm 3 2. 7 n 5 "5 u 4 "M 7 W7 A 1 2 "2 l 8 w8 ml mmm L r. 0 m s nw UIF 1]] 2 00 555 PAIENIEI] M1829 I972 3587244 IINVENTORS.

KENNET .HILLEGASS FIG. 4 ALBERT COOK flaw ATTORNEY BRAKE DISC ANDBALANCING WEIGHT This invention relates to a balancing weight which iswelded in position on a vaned-type brake disc.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The closest prior art known to applicantsare US. Pat. No. 3,366,202 issued to T N James and US. Pat. No.3,452,845 issued to E J Harmon. Both these patents show the use of aweight which fits between a pair of adjacent webs of a brake disc andfolds around the edges of the webs to retain the weight in position.Other well-known means of balancing such brake discs consist of removingmaterial from the heavy side of the disc to sufficiently lighten thedisc in that portion to balance it with the opposite circumferentiallocation on the disc. Such techniques are "time-consuming and expensiveand require a great deal of trial and error adjustment before asatisfactory balance is achieved in the disc.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the invention toprovide a weight which may be easily temporarily attached to the web ofa vaned brake disc and once it is determined that the particular weightgives the proper balance, the weight may be easily permanently attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a weight for a brakedisc which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a weight which maybe clipped over one of the webs in a vaned-type brake disc but whichwill not block a substantial portion of the hollow passage formedbetween the webs to permit air circulation therethrough.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparentas the description proceeds in the following specificationand theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a partial cross-sectionalelevational view of a conventional annular ventilated brake disc takenon line 11 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged partial sectional elevational view of such abrake disc taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged partial view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1showing a portion of the outer circumference of the brake disc; and

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the U-shaped balancing weight of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, the numeral 1indicates generally a vaned or webbed-type brake disc having a pair offlat parallel rings 2 connected to each other by a plurality of radiallyextending webs 3 and 4. The numeral 3 indicates a group of long webs andthe numeral 4 indicates a group of shorter webs. As shown in thedrawings, the long webs 3 and the short webs 4 are alternatelypositioned around the circumference of the disc. It should also beunderstood that this same invention may be utilized equally well on thetype of disc in which all the webs are of the same length. By referringto FIG. 1 it may be seen that the webs 3 and 4 are circumferentiallyspaced apart from each other a sufiicient distance to provide aplurality of radial air passages 5 extending between the rings 2 toprovide air circulation throughout the disc 1.

To balance the disc it is mounted on a conventional balancing machine todetermine the heaviest circumferential portion of the disc. Once this isdetermined, a counter-balancing weight 6 shown in FIG. 4 is clipped overone of the webs 3 or 4 which is located nearest the lightestcircumferential portion of disc. In the example shown in the presentdrawing, the weight 6 is clipped over the radially outer edge 7 of oneof the short webs 4. In some instances it may be desirable to clip aweight over the radially inner edge 8 of one of he webs 3 or 4 or toclip weights on both the outer and inner edges. In most instances,however, it is more practical to place the weight at the outer edgesince it will be more effective at this position in balancing the wheeland less weight will be needed if the weight is positioned at the outeredge of the web than if the weight is positioned at the inner edge. Theweight 6 is made in a U-shaped configuration with the legs 9 of the Ubeing radially short compared to the radial length of the web andinclining toward each other in such manner that when the weight 6 isslid onto the web 4, the ends of the legs 9 will actually grip the sidesof the web and retain the weight on the web temporarily until it can bedetermined that the proper weight has been used. To accomplish this, theweight 6 is formed with the ends of the legs 9 a shorter distance apartthan the thickness of the webs of the disc. This creates a force fitwhen the weight is on the web. Once it is found that the proper weighthas been used, the weight 6 can then be permanently attached to the webby heat fusing, such as tack welding as indicated by the numeral 10, orbrazing. This method of attaching the weight is much easier and lessexpensive than using screws or other special attachment means whichrequire special machining of the disc and are more time-consuming toinstall. The weight 6 may be made of any suitable material which has aresilient spring-like quality which will permit the legs 9 to spread asufficient distance to permit the weight to be slid onto the web whilemaintaining an inward gripping pressure against the web to temporarilyhold the weight in position until it is permanently welded or blazed tothe disc. It will be understood, of course, that various sizes andweights may be used and the shapes of the weights may vary somewhatdepending upon the type of disc upon which they are being used. Variousother modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a rotatable ventilated brake disc comprising twoflat parallel rings connected by a plurality of radially extending webshaving radially inner and outer ends and defining radial air passagesbetween the rings of the disc, at least one balancing weight positionedon the radially outer end of at least one of the webs, said weightcomprising:

A. a substantial U-shaped spring-like member having substantiallystraight legs with the ends of the legs of the U formed spaced apart adistance less than the thickness of the webs of the disc;

3 4 B. said weight being sufficiently resilient to permit it D. the legsof said weight being biased inwardly when to be forced onto the radiallyouter end of the web forced onto the web to grip the web and temso thatit encircles the end and extends along both porarily hold the weight inposition the and sides thereof; E. said weight being permanentlyfastened to the disc C. said weight being radially short compared to the5 y heat fusingdi l l h f h b h b the center f 2. The combinationclaimed in claim 1 wherein the gravity of the weight is concentratedtoward the weght tack welded to the discradially outermost point of theweb;

1. In combination with a rotatable ventilated brake disc comprising twoflat parallel rings connected by a plurality of radially extending webshaving radially inner and outer ends and defining radial air passagesbetween the rings of the disc, at least one balancing weight positionedon the radially outer end of at least one of the webs, said weightcomprising: A. a substantially U-shaped spring-like member havingsubstantially straight legs with the ends of the legs of the U formedspaced apart a distance less than the thickness of the webs of the disc;B. said weight being sufficiently resilient to permit it to be forcedonto the radially outer end of the web so that it encircles the end andextends along both sides thereof; C. said weight being radially shortcompared to the radial length of the webs whereby the center of gravityof the weight is concentrated toward the radially outermost point of theweb; D. the legs of said weight being biased inwardly when forced ontothe web to grip the web and temporarily hold the weight in positionthereon; and E. said weight being permanently fastened to the disc byheat fusing.
 2. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight istack welded to the disc.